The news coming from Real Madrid’s offices on Thursday afternoon invited optimism among the white fans after the team had not won a single major title in the last two seasons, only the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup in 2024. The signing of Yan Diomande, one of the most coveted wingers on the planet, for 125 million euros plus another 15 in variables was announced at four in the afternoon. The renewal of Vinicius, one of the most decisive pieces of the two league-Champions doubles in 2022 and 2024, although a sector of the fans is disenchanted with him, was made official four hours later. When it seemed that only Rodri Hernández’s signature was missing to crown one of the most valuable squads in the world economically — about 1.22 billion euros, according to the specialized portal Transfermarkt — the entity presided over by Florentino Pérez received a call from Pablo Barquero, the agent of the Ballon d’Or winner of the last World Cup, informing them that the Spanish midfielder appreciated their offer but had decided to sign for Barcelona.
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The change of direction of a playmaker like Rodri (30 years old), precisely the profile of footballer that Real Madrid has longed for since Toni Kroos retired in 2024 and Luka Modric lost prominence before moving to Milan last summer, was a blow to the club’s plans. The fourth Spanish footballer to win the Ballon d’Or after Luis Suárez, Alexia Putellas, and Aitana Bonmatí reflected and decided that the team where he can best develop his football is Hansi Flick’s Barça. The style is much more similar to what Rodri is used to both in the national team and at Manchester City, where he arrived in 2019 under Pep Guardiola and where many analysts consider him the best playmaker in the world, champion of the Champions League in 2023, the Euro 2024, and five Premier Leagues.
Rodri’s reflection process ended with the choice of Barcelona, a club that implements a pressing style after losing the ball and positional play very similar to those of City and the team led by Luis de la Fuente. In the Barça locker room, the Madrid player will also find many of his teammates from La Roja, including Pau Cubarsí, Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Joan García, Ferran Torres, Eric García, and Fermín López, the latter absent due to injury in the World Cup won last July 19 in New Jersey against Argentina.
Having secured the player’s commitment, Barcelona already began negotiations with City. Rodri does not have a release clause at the Manchester club, but his contract ends on June 30, 2027, so from next January he would be able to negotiate with any team to join for free next season. The skyblue club aims to earn about 65 million euros for him, but Barça’s first offer was around 45 million plus another 10 in variables.
Rodri’s move was surprising after much of the Spanish sports press assured that Madrid was the best-placed club — PSG was also interested — and after Enrique Riquelme, the candidate for Real Madrid’s presidency defeated by Florentino Pérez last June, assured during the campaign that the midfielder would sign for the Valdebebas entity if he won the elections. Also because he himself, in several interviews with media, stated in recent years that he would consider signing for what he called “the best club in history.” “Obviously, when Real Madrid calls you, the best club in history, the most decorated, with what that means, it is an honor and you always have to pay attention,” he said on El Larguero, on Cadena SER, in November 2024 just after winning the Ballon d’Or at a gala in Paris that the white club did not attend after an embarrassing no-show, considering it an affront that Vinicius, who was second, did not win the award.
Last March, on Onda Cero, the midfielder was asked if he ruled out going to Madrid after having worn Atlético’s shirt. “I would like to return [to Spain], yes, obviously. No [I don’t rule out Madrid], many players have made that path and, above all, not directly, but over time. For me, you can’t give up on the best clubs in the world,” he answered.
For the midfielder, who also saw how Florentino Pérez’s board waited until after the World Cup to contact him after seeing that his performance was good following the cruciate ligament injury he suffered in September 2024, the sporting issue weighed the most. His environment has described the economic offer made from Valdebebas as irresistible. Even José Mourinho, back on Madrid’s bench, contacted him in recent weeks to explain the project. Rodri, however, chose a locker room where he already knows eight Spanish internationals and proposes a football style that he masters like few. His yes to Barça and no to Madrid leaves the white team as it was: with an imposing goalkeeper, defense, and attack, but a midfield where none of its big names — Aurélien Tchouaméni, Fede Valverde, Jude Bellingham, or Bernardo Silva — have the ability to organize the game from the pivot position as Rodri does, a problem the group already suffered in the last two seasons and that has a very difficult solution in the market.
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